Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

Half-Blood meets Antigoddess in a thrilling, romantic new series from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Drake.

When a stranger gives Analiese Jordan a list of names before he dies, the last thing she expects to see is her own on it. Not. Cool. Her search for answers leads to the man’s grandson, Marek, who has dangerous secrets of his own. Both are determined to unlock the mystery of the list.

But the truth is deadly. Analiese is a descendant of the God of Death, known as a Riser, with the power to raise the dead and control them. Finding out she has hidden powers? Cool. Finding out she turns corpses into killers? No, thank you.

Now the trail plants her and Marek in the middle of a war between gods who apparently want to raise an army of the Risen, and Analiese must figure out how to save the world—from herself.

This is a love story centered around mythology. And it all started when Analiese was a good samaritan and helped an elderly man with a task she promised him during his last breaths. The man was carrying a bag to his grandson that Analiese was now tasked with doing. After opening the bag to figure out the old man’s grandson’s address, she finds what looks to be a hit list. After a closer look, she realizes that her name is also on this list.

Initially, I was really excited for this novel. For me, there was not enough focus on the plot and too much focus on the romantic element. There was so much potential, but I don’t feel like the novel was executed to its full extent! I found it hard to connect to the characters.

The reason I was most disappointed was because there was a lost opportunity with the clues Analiese and Marek were left to figure out. It would’ve made the book if the audience was able to see examples in the novel and try to figure it out themselves. I remember Chasing Vermeer did that when it came out during my dreaded middle school days. That would’ve been an awesome incorporation!